That's Life
by The World Is Alive
Summary: Dianna and Nichole are still on the loose. The team is determined to put an end to their terror. Meanwhile Alice is still adjusting to living with the Avengers, and that isn't as easy as it sounds. But hey, that's life, right? Sequel to Mind Games. Rated T for safety.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: So this is the beginning of That's Life. Not the best title, but I love the song and realized how fitting it is. Anywho, hope everyone enjoys this story as much as they enjoyed Mind Games (even if it was full of mistakes ^^")**

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**Chapter One**

How long had it been since she was finally released from the hospital? For the first time in weeks she couldn't even remember. Everything from the last two months had become a blur. Memories of leaving the orphanage and her old life behind suddenly returned.

Than she suddenly remembered getting adopted by the infamous Black Widow. She had become part of a world and a system she never wanted. That was all in the past though. Since she had joined the Avengers temporarily, she had become slightly stronger.

But with that change she had grown a lack of trust in strangers and in people. She was afraid of what her old friend, Nikki had done. Nichole had joined sides with a woman known as Dianna Rose. And Dianna was an AIM agent who was determined to get her revenge on the Avengers.

"You know, staring at it isn't going to get you anywhere." She almost jumped at the sound of Clint's voice. A smirk fell upon his face when she shot him a glare. "It helps if you actually punch the thing," he added after ignoring the glare.

"Since when have _you_ ever cared about my training?" she demanded after swinging a fist into the punching bag. The bag swayed from the sudden impact, nearly knocking him over in the process.

Of course Clint was faster. He caught it before it could cause any real damage.

"Look, I get that you're pissed, and I can see why. But you haven't spoken to anyone in the past week." She didn't bother responding as she moved to the side and swung another fist into the punching bag. This time it barely moved, and her eyes narrowed in annoyance. "Alice."

Crap. Alice finally locked gazes with Clint after he called her by her name. He rarely did that unless something was seriously wrong.

"Okay, I see your point," she finally muttered. "But the only way I can stop both Dianna and Nichole without getting in the way is by training."

"You aren't going to get any stronger by hitting the poor punching bag," he scoffed. "We have a meeting, and everyone needs to attend."

She let out an irritated sigh before dropping the gloves she had taken. He did have a point. She had spent most of her time in the gym since she was released from the hospital. In truth she was terrified of facing the team again after her last failed attempt at stopping Nichole.

_I'm surprised they even trust me on my own_, she thought as she followed Clint to the meeting room.

The team had moved to Stark Tower after the events in Seattle. After a dispute with Director Fury, everyone was reluctant to return to SHIELD's HQ.

Everyone had fought against Fury's orders to take away her powers. And once Viktor was put in the highest security cell, Fury thought now would be a good time to use the serum that Bruce had created. But with Dianna and Nichole on the lose, no one was safe.

"Hey kid, glad to see you're finally showing your face." Alice restrained a blush when they finally reached the meeting room. Clint sat beside Natasha and Steve, while Alice was forced to sit beside Bruce.

Had she really been avoiding them that much? She hardly noticed how much time had passed since leaving the hospital.

"So we now know of two places Dianna could be hiding," Tony explained. "But the question is, how heavily guarded are these facilities?"

_Something tells me that it won't ever be easy_, Alice told herself. Judging by the faces everyone else made, she was right. Finally Natasha leaned forward to lock gazes with Tony. His grin was almost priceless when he met her stare.

"As much as I hate to say this, we may need to let SHIELD handle the situation." Alice raised an eyebrow in surprise. SHIELD handled every situation when things got out of hand. But Dianna had more than just skills on her side. Nichole was fighting for her, making them both formidable enemies against even the greatest hero.

"So we're just going to sit here and do nothing?" Even Steve didn't like the idea. He frowned when Natasha gave him a cool look.

"What happens if more lives are lost?" Alice finally spoke up. She couldn't let more innocent people die because of her old friend. She wouldn't let that happen, not if she could stop Nichole.

Alice rolled her eyes when she realized that she was ignored. Once again as the team began arguing over what to do next. This was the second time the so called meetings ended in an argument. No one was sure what to do next.

She had a feeling that if SHIELD was watching them, they were getting a good laugh out of this. Suddenly the lights flickered on and off, and a deathly silence filled the room. Alice folded her arms and narrowed her eyes when she finally caught their attention.

"If anyone is going to have a say in this, it should be me," she muttered. "I'm tired of the arguments, and I just want to get this done and over with."

"You know, she does have a point," Bruce grumbled when the tensions died down. Part of Alice was afraid he would Hulk out on them. That would be disastrous, especially since they were already in a small enough space.

"I suppose you're right," Natasha sighed. "What did you have in mind?"

Alice took a deep breath and thought of what they could possibly do. One thought had crossed her mind. It was a crazy thought, but it might work. Natasha and Clint were SHIELD agents after all.

"I think we need to ask for SHIELD's assistance," she replied. "I know that we're not exactly on good terms with them, but we'll need all of the help we can get."

_Especially since Thor went back to Asgard the moment Viktor was captured_, she added silently. Apparently Loki was giving his father and mother a difficult time. Thor wanted to make sure his brother had not escaped from his prison cell.

Her request was left with vengeful looks from everyone. Director Fury had given mostly Natasha and Clint a difficult time when they refused to return. But from what Alice had heard, he'd given everyone else a hard time because they stood up for them.

"I sure hope you're right kid." Tony finally broke the silence that filled the room. "I don't like the idea of asking SHIELD for help."

_I know_, Alice reminded herself. _But now more than ever they were going to need help_.

She had a feeling that Dianna and Nichole had risen in power. And even the mighty Avengers would not see the threat approaching.


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: Sorry for the long wait, I've been busy and had the slightest case of writer's block. Yeah... thanks to 2theSky, callieandjack and Silverwolf0831 for reviewing! You guys are awesome!**

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**Chapter Two**

The hellicarrier. Alice felt a shiver run along her arms as she waited for Director Fury to finish giving Clint and Natasha the lecture of the century. She could hear him swearing under his breath as he tried to explain why it was a bad idea to leave SHIELD without warning.

"I'm glad to see you're back in one piece." Alice jumped when she heard Agent Hill speak up. She had been so focused on Director Fury that she didn't even notice the agent approaching her.

"Yeah well, I suppose I could've lost limbs in the battle," she replied sarcastically. She had almost died in the battle. If Natasha hadn't saved her... she wasn't sure what would have happened.

"From what I heard you were almost killed." Agent Hill seemed to read her mind.

Alice held back a retort about her near-fatal accident. This wasn't the best time to have an argument. The team needed SHIELD's assistance in order to take down Dianna and Nichole. So far the pair had remained strangely quiet. But it was only a matter of time before they struck back.

"So we're at an understanding than?" Alice raised an eyebrow when Director Fury finally walked out of the room they were in. Natasha and Clint were behind him, looking rather annoyed after his speech was finished.

"Of course sir." Natasha's eyes narrowed as she said those words.

Clint only folded his arms in response. Director Fury simply smirked at their stoic postures.

"They haven't been causing any trouble as of yet," he explained when Alice quickly joined them. Agent Hill stood at his side, ready for orders as she avoided making eye contact. "But we did get a recent report of an attack in London."

Alice stared at the screen he pulled up in disbelief. Explosions shook the city on almost every block. People were running in different directions as they tried to avoid the fires that broke out. After a few seconds the images returned to the London Eye. She remembered reading about it in history class a few months ago. It was apparently the biggest Ferris wheel in Europe.

But what she saw next made her stomach clench with pity. Two people were standing at the base of the London Eye. Almost as soon as they were far enough away an explosion followed. The large structure was slowly leaning towards the river shortly after.

"When did this happen?" Clint demanded after narrowing his eyes in disgust.

"A few days ago. Damage Control manage to clean everything up," Agent Hill explained. "But we scanned the area for signs of possible invasion. So far the terrorists left no clues."

"Obviously they were skilled at what they did," Natasha sighed. "But not skilled enough."

Alice looked at Natasha in confusion as she grabbed the tablet Director Fury was holding. Seconds after typing in a few codes and words, the image of the two people standing in front of the London Eye expanded. Alice's eyes widened in shock when she recognized Nichole and Dianna.

"Of course they would be involved in this," she said under her breath.

"It doesn't take a genius to see that they were enjoying the view," Clint scoffed.

She restrained the urge to glare at him. As much as she hated to admit it, he was right. Nichole was enjoying the destruction she caused. Dianna's influence on her was getting stronger by the day. If they weren't stopped soon, Nichole might be lost forever.

"I had a feeling you might be able to figure out who they were," Director Fury said.

"How much time do we have before the next attack?" Agent Hill glanced at Director Fury as he studied the image carefully.

"Three days at best," Natasha replied. "They're waiting to see what SHIELD will do next."

Director Fury's smirk told Alice that Natasha was right. Three days would give her plenty of time to prepare for the oncoming fight. But what bothered Alice more than anything was the fact that they were willing to wait this long. Something about the whole scenario didn't feel right.

"We'll be more than ready." Even Director Fury sounded uncertain. This time Alice had to agree that something wasn't right. If they were biding their time than Dianna and Nichole might be ready for anything as well.

. . .

They returned to Stark Tower well after midnight. By now Alice was exhausted, and all she wanted was a good night sleep. But it seemed like sleep wasn't going to happen.

She bolted from her bed when she heard an eerie laugh echoing throughout the many halls. If this was a stupid prank from Tony, she was going to punch him. After spending the last few days with the Avengers she had learned of the pranks they pulled on one another. So far she had not fallen victim to Tony's pranks, but she knew it was only a matter of time.

Alice made her way towards the source of the sound, wishing it would go away. She was surprised that the lights hadn't turned on by now. Or the fact that the security system hadn't alerted anyone to the source.

_Surely Natasha would have at least heard this sound_, she thought.

Her eyes widened as she skidded to a halt. Standing in front of her was an all too familiar form. Only she seemed more sinister than before. Her hair was longer than Alice remembered, and her eyes were glowing with hate.

"Do you really think that you can stop us?" Shivers ran down Alice's arms when Nichole spoke. Her voice sounded like nails dragging across a chalkboard. "We're more powerful than ever thanks to you. You were a fool to believe that I'd ever forgive you!"

"Nichole, this isn't you talking." Alice tried to keep her voice steady as Nichole narrowed her eyes. "There might still be a chance to save you, if you would just listen."

"Oh please, like you ever cared about me," Nichole spat. "The moment I was gone you probably threw a party. I have a new family, and new friends." The venom in her voice made the hair along Alice's neck stand on end. "And unlike the Avengers, they accept me for who I am. They _care_ for me."

Alice closed her eyes and tried to block out the eerie laughter that followed. Nothing she said was true. She knew that, but part of her realized that Nichole was right. Once this was all over she would be thrown back into the real world. She would have nothing, just like she had in the orphanage.

"I may not have a real family, but at least I have a real _future_!" Alice finally shouted. Her eyes flashed open, and Nichole's smirk made her wince.

"You're right about not having a real family," she sneered. "You will never have a real family, and you will never fit in to the real world, even if you do lose your powers."

"Alice!" Nichole frowned when a voice shouted over her own cruel words. "Alice, wake up!" Finally Alice blinked when she recognized Natasha's voice.

When she blinked again she was brought back to reality. Her eyes widened when she realized that she had fallen out of her bed. Natasha was holding her up, concern shadowing her gaze.

"What happened?" Alice asked after Natasha helped her up.

"Jarvis warned me that you were having a nightmare," Natasha explained. "Are you all right? You seem more shaken than usual."

_I don't need your pity_, Alice wanted to say. But truthfully she was thankful that Natasha actually showed signs of caring. After the horrible nightmare she had endured, she wasn't sure what to say.

"I'll be fine," she grumbled. Natasha raised an eyebrow and looked at her skeptically. "Really, it was just a bad dream," she added as reassuringly as she could.

"If you need anything just let me know," Natasha sighed after realizing that was all she would say.

Relief washed over her shoulders when Natasha left the room. Than came the realization that dawned on her. Her dream felt so real, and she suddenly understood what Nichole had said.

Though she had been adopted and taken out of the orphanage, she wasn't part of a real family. Once this war was over, she would be thrown back into the real world. The team wouldn't need her once Dianna and Nichole were stopped.

_I really am as worthless as it gets_, she thought bitterly.

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**AN: Phew, that chapter was a doozy. Glad I got it finished though, I'm a bit proud of it ^^" Please let me know what you thought of it in a review!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

Something was clearly wrong with Alice. After her first nightmare, she had another one similar to the first. What bothered her more than anything else was that they were so real. And to top things off, she wasn't getting any sleep.

When she finally crept out of her room the following morning, she wasn't surprised to be jumped by Natasha. She had already tried pushing Natasha away once. But now she was too exhausted to fight back as Natasha folded her arms and looked at Alice sternly.

"I really don't have any excuses this time," Alice finally sighed.

"Come with me," Natasha told her. "There's something we need to check."

Alice watched Natasha warily as she headed towards the living space. She quickly followed Natasha and found Steve have some argument with Clint. Both were oblivious to Natasha's arrival as she made her way towards another hall.

"Where are we going?" Alice demanded when they finally reached what she guessed was the lab. There was a security lock on the right side of the large metal door. Alice had a feeling that Tony kept all of his secret projects in there. Even SHIELD would have a difficult time getting inside.

"In here," Natasha replied after typing in a series of codes.

The door suddenly swung open. Alice blinked in surprise when she saw that the room was larger than she expected. To one side were machines that were too complicated for Alice to understand. To the other were computers with images plastered across the screens. And of course, standing in the center of the room was Tony. Alice was even more surprised that Bruce was reading something on one of the many computers.

"Jarvis, is the building secure?" Tony was holding a tablet. Alice could just make out the images of Dianna and Nichole in the corner of the screen.

"Of course sir," Jarvis replied. Natasha took another step forward, and did the same. As soon as they were inside the door slammed shut behind them.

"Glad to see you're still awake," Tony said after noticing their arrival. "Maybe now we can figure out what's going on."

"Wait, what?" Alice felt her shoulders sag with annoyance when Tony smirked at her. Bruce finally looked up from his screen and stood up.

"I had Jarvis run a scan in your room after your second nightmare," Tony explained. "Turns out that your old friend has a new ability, one that could lead to disaster." He glanced at Bruce, who looked more worried than usual.

Alice looked at Tony skeptically. Nichole's powers might be impressive, but Alice knew they came with a cost. She knew that sooner or later Nichole would learn that the hard way.

"We designed a machine that should be able to keep her from using her powers," Bruce added after standing beside Tony. "If we hold her down long enough we might be able to take away her powers, and make her listen to reason."

"So what exactly does this have to do with me?" Alice demanded.

"Nichole has been using her powers to create nightmares," Natasha replied.

Horror surged through Alice when she realized what that meant. Everything she had seen was real. From the hate in Nichole's eyes to the words she had used. She had meant everything she said. And that only made Alice realize that Nichole was lost. There was no hope in saving her from Dianna's influence.

"What will happen to her when you catch her?" Alice's voice dropped to a whisper. Natasha finally exchanged looks with Tony and Bruce.

"She's a dangerous criminal." Her face fell when Natasha replied in such a cold way.

_She's right though_, she realized bitterly._ Even if we managed to get her away from Dianna_, _Nichole would likely blame us for it_.

"So how do you plan on stopping these nightmares from happening?" Alice found herself getting more wary by the minute. Tony's smirk made her frown in confusion. She wasn't looking forward to whatever he'd invented this time.

"That's where these nifty things come in handy," he explained after grabbing what looked like a pair of earbuds. Alice raised an eyebrow when he tossed them over to Natasha, who caught them with ease. "They should block out Nichole's telepathy. The farther away she is from you, the stronger they will be."

Alice studied the earbuds carefully when Natasha handed them to her. They looked like noise cancelling headphones as far as she could tell.

"We're working on a better device," Bruce added when he noticed her confused expression. "After what we've discovered, it's a good idea for the rest of the team to have them as well."

"And once we've finished working on these, we'll have a better idea as to how Nichole's powers work," Tony concluded with a triumphant grin.

Natasha looked more annoyed than confused at this point. Tony and Bruce worked well together when the world wasn't under threat. Alice had to admit that they made a good team when it came to science and technology.

"Thank you," Alice murmured. She was about to leave when Natasha placed a hand on her shoulder.

"We should talk," she added under her breath. "You're still shaken after what happened last night."

If it were anyone else, she would have argued. But Natasha was almost as stubborn as she was, if not more. Fighting against the Black Widow would likely end in cuts and bruises that Alice would rather avoid.

She left the room once Tony and Bruce were finished explaining everything. They seemed far more at home in a lab than out on a battlefield. But after seeing the Hulk rage about, Alice knew better than to judge.

Once they were far enough away, she stopped just before reaching the living space. Natasha turned to face her, eyes still dark with the same concern she had seen last night.

"Look, I know that you're worried about me, and I get that-" Natasha cut her off with a slight cough. Alice looked down at the ground when Natasha refused to be swayed from the subject.

"Alice, obviously something is bothering you." She finally looked up and noticed for the first time how wary Natasha looked.

"What's going to happen... when this is over?" Alice hesitated before asking the question. She knew full well that Natasha was a master of deceit. But maybe somehow she would tell the truth.

"That's something we will have to discuss later," Natasha sighed after looking at the walls thoughtfully.

Alice felt her jaw clench when she realized that Natasha was just hiding the truth. She already knew what would happen next. Part of what Nichole had said was true. The Avengers and SHIELD were full of secrets that were best kept hidden. And now she was part of their world of secrets.

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**AN: Another disappointingly short chapter, but it is a filler. Exciting things are about to happen in the next couple of chapters, but I'm not making any promises. Thanks to Silverwolf0831 and callieandjack for reviewing! You guys are awesome!**


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